Posted on 05 Mar 2015
The city of Kitakyushu, located in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan, has much
to offer in the way of solutions for the growing environmental problems
and towards sustainable development in Asian countries and cities.
Once Japan's capital of steel and chemical industries, Kitakyushu today
is a much cleaner city, thanks to a variety of environmental policies
and measures that have helped it overcome severe environmental pollution
in the past.
What is more interesting is that it expects to continue to engage in
international cooperation and business in order to capitalise on its
accumulated technologies and know-how in sustainable development to
solve Asian cities' environmental problems.
Malaysia could also very well benefit from this, as it is swiftly moving
towards, and is almost certain to attain, developed nation status by
2020.
The country has achieved much success beginning as an agricultural
nation with a world leading position in the production of rubber and
palm oil, and its later economic growth led by major industries,
including services, manufacturing, construction and mining.
Nevertheless, in its aspirations to become a developed country, Malaysia
is and should be also looking towards gaining success and development
in tandem, and with emphasis on the people's well-being index.
Other countries in Asia and indeed the entire world are already
clamouring for clean and green energy, which apparently will be the
future trend of development.
With green energy becoming a louder "battle cry" in many countries in
the quest for new and cleaner forms of technology to combat pollution
and to achieve climate change goals, the offer to share knowledge from
the city of Kitakyushu seems timely.
"Using our experience in overcoming our own pollution issues and
expertise in city planning that takes into consideration both the
environment and the economy, we want to continue sharing this knowledge
with Asian cities and the world," said Kenji Kitahashi, the Mayor of
Kitakyushu.
Through engaging in international cooperation and business across Asia,
Kitakyushu is able to provide packaged environmental policies and
actions that integrate the environment, economy and society, he said
during a courtesy call with Asean journalists visiting Japan recently on
the invitation of the country's Foreign Affairs Ministry.
A city-to-city environmental cooperation network has been established and many projects are being implemented.
Some outcomes of cooperation -- including substanstial improvement in
Dalian, China; a "green sister city" agreement with Surabaya, Indonesia;
and a water supply improvement project in Phnom Penh, Cambodia -- are
contributing to sustainable development in Asia.
The mayor said Kitakyushu, located between Tokyo and Shanghai, has also
been pioneering the creation of an environmentally-friendly and
low-carbon society through efforts such as drastically reducing
greenhouse gas emissions.
"Goals have been set for reducing carbon dioxide emissions city-wide by
50 per cent and throughout Asia by 150 per cent by 2050," he said.
In July 2011, The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
(OECD) selected Kitakyushu, from being one of the most polluted cities
in Japan in the 1960's to a green growth model city, for its activities
and achievements in international environmental cooperation and the
city's Eco-Town Project.
